The invention relates to structures and procedures, which, in use, form cavities in interior body regions of humans and other animals for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes.
Certain diagnostic or therapeutic procedures require the formation of a cavity in an interior body region.
For example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,969,888 and 5,108,404, an expandable body is deployed to form a cavity in cancellous bone tissue, as part of a therapeutic procedure that fixes fractures or other abnormal bone conditions, both osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic in origin. The expandable body compresses the cancellous bone to form an interior cavity. The cavity receives a filling material, which provides renewed interior structural support for cortical bone.
This procedure can be used to treat cortical bone, which due to osteoporosis, avascular necrosis, cancer, or trauma, is fractured or is prone to compression fracture or collapse. These conditions, if not successfully treated, can result in deformities, chronic complications, and an overall adverse impact upon the quality of life.
A demand exists for alternative systems or methods which, like the expandable body shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,969,888 and 5,108,404, are capable of forming cavities in bone and other interior body regions in safe and efficacious ways.
The invention provides new tools for creating cavities in cancellous bone. The tools carry structures that cut cancellous bone to form the cavity.
In one embodiment, the structure comprises a filament, which can be formed as a loop or as an array creating a brush. Manipulation of the filament when inside bone cuts cancellous bone to create a cavity. In another embodiment, the structure comprises a blade that cuts cancellous bone by either lateral movement, rotational movement, or both. In another embodiment, the structure comprises a transmitter of energy that cuts cancellous bone to create the cavity.
The invention also provides directions for using a selected tool according to a method comprising the steps of deploying the tool inside bone and manipulating the structure to cut cancellous bone and form the cavity. The method for use can also instruct filling the cavity with a material, such as, e.g., bone cement, allograft material, synthetic bone substitute, a medication, or a flowable material that sets to a hardened condition.
Features and advantages of the inventions are set forth in the following Description and Drawings, as well as in the appended Claims.